How Much You Meant
by 1970heaven
Summary: Their date night was ruined by a reckless driver. Fear and reality sunk in. Nothing felt right. But time, and maybe a little love, eventually heals. (Sappy, I know, but just give it a chance.) Warning: There is mention of blood loss, severe injury, the possibility of death, and angst. That's the only reason I'm rating it T. No swearing or sexual stuff.
1. Prologue

**Okay, I think I've procrastinated long enough. I've been wanting to share this story, but since none of my previous stories had any reviews, I've been kind of paranoid that it's because they might be mediocre. So I've been hesitant to publish this chaptered story I wrote.**

**I don't own Josie and the Pussycats.**

**I would also like to thank EveninginHornersCorners for inspiring me. I got the idea for this story from a one-shot I read. This story is basically a continuation of it. (Evening please don't hate me if you think this fic sucks)**

**WARNING: DRAMA AND TRAGEDY WILL ENSUE WITHIN THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS!**

**The rest will be romantic fluff with a little bit of humor.**

**I'm not sure how this will turn out, so I'll put up the prologue and first chapter, then see if I'm brave enough to put up the next chapters.**

**...**

Words could never describe this night. Nor could they describe the fear, the agony, the despair he felt. The despair they all felt sitting in the waiting room, waiting for someone, anyone, to tell them what would become of their friend.

They all sat in loud silence, their hearts screaming for an answer as to why, and how it had come to this.

...

**Me: How do you leave a reader in suspense?**

**You: I don't know, how?**

**Me: I'll tell you tomorrow.**

**Review if you want more! **


	2. Chapter 1: Romantic Evening Gone Wrong

**Hey, so I'm putting this up right after putting up the prologue, just to give you a bit more knowledge of what's happening...**

**And then I'm going to procrastinate putting up the next chapter to leave you on the edge of your seats! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**Just kidding (or am I?), on with the show!**

**Seriously, please don't hate me!**

**...**

Tonight was supposed to have been the happiest night for Alexander, as it would be his first date with Valerie. He could still recall the day he asked her out.

Now wasn't the time to reminisce though, he had to finish getting ready.

"There." He said, loosening the black tie around his neck. He heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" He called out.

"It's Valerie," he heard Valerie reply, "are you ready to go?"

Alex opened the door and smiled, seeing Valerie wearing a blue dress with short sleeves and a blue skirt that became paler further down. She wore a silver necklace with a sapphire heart on it, and small diamond earrings. Her feet displayed black dress shoes with small heels on them. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

"I'm ready," Alex said to her, offering his hand, "shall we then?"

Valerie just giggled and took his hand, and together they left.

...

They rode a cab to the restaurant, and when they arrived the driver said, "Now you two lovebirds have fun." As they were getting out. That made Alex's face turn crimson red. He noticed that Val was also blushing slightly.

They walked arm-in-arm toward the restaurant. There was already a line ending on the top marble step, so the two just stood waiting, holding hands and taking in the scene. The full moon shone, the stars sparkled, and all of their surroundings seemed to be at peace. Alex looked over at Valerie, who looked even more radiant now.

Valerie looked up at him, meeting his gaze, "It's so beautiful tonight." She said to him with a smile.

Alex smiled back, "Not as beautiful as you."

...

After they were seated at their table, and had ordered, the two looked around and took in the scene once again. "It was a good idea coming here, this place is really groovy." Said Valerie.

"Yeah," Alex replied, "it sure is."

"Alex, there's... there's something I should tell you." Valerie began.

"What is it?" Alex asked her, a bit nervously.

"Well, remember the day you asked me out? How I told you I was going to ask you out?"

"Yeah, I couldn't ever forget it, especially when the hotel manager yelled at us."

They both chuckled, then Valerie continued, "After I had found Melody's drumsticks, I went into the room you and Alan had stayed in to see if there was anything else missing... and I found a piece of paper crumpled up on the floor..."

Alex's face turned bright red, and he broke into a sweat, "Oh, you did?" He barely managed to squeak out.

Val just nodded, "I picked it up and uncrumpled it, then I read what was written on it... Alex, I... I think it was really sweet... what you wrote and..." Valerie's cheeks grew red and she grinned, "I've been feeling the same way for a while."

Alex's voice came back, "You have?"

Valerie nodded, "And I'm glad we're here now, I'm glad that we could have this chance to talk about it and..."

"Start something?" Alex finished, blushing.

Valerie smiled, taking his hands in hers. "Exactly."

...

As they were leaving, the moon began to rise higher in the sky, giving everything around them a serene ivory glow. They stopped at the sidewalk and looked around, taking it all in as their hands met.

Valerie leaned over, resting her head on Alex's shoulder. "This is the most beautiful night I've ever seen."

Alex smiled, leaning his head on hers, her ebony curls tickling his cheek. "I'm glad we came here," he said, "I think this might be one of the best nights of my life."

Valerie beamed, her heart fluttering. "I love you." She said to him.

Alex felt his face grow warm, "I love you too." He replied, lifting his head and wrapping his arm around her waist. He felt her head lift off his shoulder and her arm go around his shoulders.

He turned his head and their gazes met. Even through his shades he could see the moonlight reflect off of her brown eyes, making them twinkle.

He found himself leaning in, closing his eyes, and before he knew it, he could feel her soft lips press lightly against his.

...

They walked, hand in hand down the sidewalk, then stopped and waited to cross the road.

As they waited, Alex's mind played the kiss scene over again. It had felt magical, standing under the moonlight, holding her close, feeling her warm lips cradle his own. When the kiss had broken they had just stood there, smiling widely. Then silently, made their way down the walk.

Alex had remembered passing by a shop with a phone booth in front of it on the way to the restaurant. He figured if they stopped there, he could call a cab to take them home.

The stoplight signaled for them to cross and they stepped out onto the crosswalk. This was it, Alex thought, he and Valerie had their first successful date complete with a kiss. Everything was just amazing, nothing could ruin this night.

...

The next moments had been a blur, which felt like a nightmare. He remembered feeling Valerie's hands on his back pushing him forward. He remembered hearing her voice cry "Look out!" Then the screech of tires and two thuds.

He remembered picking himself up and turning around, feeling his stomach turn inside out upon seeing her sprawled on the ground, lying on her back.

He had heard screaming, a voice was crying out in panic, saying her name. It wasn't until he found himself kneeling next to her motionless body that he realized the voice belong to him.

The smell of blood filled the air and a small scarlet puddle formed under Valerie's head. He felt her neck. She still had a faint pulse, and was still breathing.

Alex's vision blurred as tears burned his eyes. Then he heard another voice that didn't belong to him, but it was a voice that he recognized.

The voice belonged to Josie. She and Alan were both there, having planned on taking a moonlit stroll. Alan ran to find a phone booth to call an ambulance. Alex and Josie had moved Valerie to the sidewalk, which was a safer place. Alex used the black tuxedo jacket he had worn that night to stem the bleeding.

At one point, Valerie had come around, but she was in too much pain to even speak. They tried their best to keep her awake until the ambulance arrived.

When the ambulance got there, they climbed in after the paramedics had laid her on a stretcher and carried her in.

It felt like an eternity before they reached the hospital. Josie was crying on Alan's shoulder, Alan looked like he was going to cry, and Alex could only look at Valerie.

Her eyes were closed, her face and body still. She looked so peaceful and innocent, almost angelic. Alex could still sense a hint life in her.

He took her hand in his, hung his head down, and crying, prayed that she would live.

...

**Shoulder Devil: You call that a story?! That was a load of bull-**

**Conscience: It's fine! You did your best and you're being brave by putting it out there!**

**Devil: More like stupid! You're basically strangling your two main characters with the "red string", and throwing in some tragedy just because the idea popped in your head! Where it sounded a whole lot better! Those readers are gonna be so ****pi-**

**Conscience: We won't know unless we show them.**

**Me: Okay, (turns to you) so, what do you think, reader? Do you like how things are going so far? Am I being too vague? Am I putting too much emphasis on the romance? Should I continue? Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2: Bad News

Chapter 2: Bad News

**Okay, I'm updating. I really don't know what to say. Give it a chance, okay?**

**...**

Alexander's P.O.V

I didn't want to believe that this was happening. But I knew it was real. I kept pinching myself to see if it was just a nightmare. I tried blinking, hoping I would wake up and this would be over, but I was wide awake.

_Why? _I asked myself, _Why did it have to be this way? Just as things were starting to look bright, this had to happen! How is this fair?_

Words could never describe the pain, the agony, the despair I felt. The despair all of us felt waiting for someone, _anyone_, to tell us if she would live or-

"Mr. Cabot?" A voice caught my attention. It was the doctor who had taken Valerie in.

I immediately stood up, then sat down again. My knees were jelly at this point.

...

Josie's P.O.V

I didn't expect this to happen. Especially not tonight, and especially not to my best friend.

But as Alan and I were walking together, and were about to cross the street, we saw Alex kneeling in the road screaming and crying. We could smell blood, and we saw Valerie lying in the road unconcious. Alan had called an ambulance while Alex and I tried to keep Valerie awake after she had regained consciousness. She passed out again on the way to the hospital. I was crying the whole time with Alan holding me. I was scared to death of what would happen. Alex had told us that Valerie got hit by a car, but he hadn't seen it coming.

The way he told it, it sounded like Valerie had seen the car coming toward them and pushed him out of the way.

We waited in silence for someone to tell us if she would be ok. Finally someone did.

"Mr. Cabot?" The young doctor said. Alex immediately stood up, his knees knocking together. He sat down again.

"Is... is Valerie... ok?" I managed to choke out.

"I have good news... and bad news." The doctor replied.

...

Alan's P.O.V.

Alex had told us through tears what happened, I couldn't believe what was happening. I was terrified, we all were.

Valerie had always been one of the smartest, strongest people I've known. She's done so much to get us out of trouble. She even brought us back from outer space. So much we've been through, and most of the time she was the hero. Why should it end like this?

"Valerie is in stable condition," the doctor began, "However, she has a severe concussion, she has suffered spinal damage and multiple bone fractures, and I'm afraid she's slipped into a coma."

"She'll be ok though, won't she?" Alex asked.

"Well, in this case, we may have to wait and see if she pulls through. But you might also want to prepare for the worst."

I don't remember much after that. All I was able to focus on was comforting my friends on the way home.

...

Melody's P.O.V.

I had no idea at first why Josie, Alan, and Alexander had come home looking as though they had been crying. Well, Alex was still crying. But I decided that the best thing to do was comfort them. It would soon be obvious though, we would all be in tears.

"What's the matter?" I asked them. Josie and Alan exchanged looks and Alex just came over to the couch and sat next to me, taking his shades off and burying his face in his hands.

"Melody, I think we should talk about this in private." Josie said, pointing to the kitchen door. I followed her in and Alan sat down next to Alex.

"Where's Valerie?" I asked, realizing she wasn't there.

Josie let out a shaky breath, "Melody," she began, taking my hands, "there was an... accident and... you see, Alex and Valerie were crossing the street and then... Valerie got hit... by a car... we took her to the hospital and they told us that she's alive for now but... she's in a coma and... they don't know if she's going to make it."

My eyes widened, "But she'll be ok... won't she?"

Tears filled Josie's eyes, "I don't know Melody. I just don't know."

I'm not the brightest bulb in the lamp, and plenty of things confuse me, but this just didn't make any sense at all. Why would someone hurt Valerie like that? Why can't the doctors tell if she's going to be ok? How did this even happen?

These questions crowded up in my mind as I put my head down and broke into tears.

...

Alexandra's P.O.V.

I didn't even know what was going on until I heard the sound of my brother crying.

"What happened?" I asked as I came out to the living room, where Alex and Alan were sitting on the couch looking liked they'd been weeping all night.

Now, I'm not normally a very nice person, but Alexander is my brother. No matter how much we argue I still care about him.

I sat down next to him and asked him again, "Alex, what happened?" I realized how panicked I sounded, but I didn't care.

Then, I heard Melody crying, and without waiting for a response I rushed into the kitchen where I saw Melody and Josie sitting at the table, both of them in tears.

Melody looked up at me, then jumped up and threw her arms around me, sobbing violently into my shoulder.

For the third and final time that night I asked, "What happened?"

...

Third Person P.O.V.

Alexandra could just barely make out what Melody said, her voice still muffled and choked.

"Valerie (gasp) got h-hit (choke) b-by a c-c-car!"

They knew at that moment that it would be a long, long night.

...

**I know you're probably thinking that this chapter might have been a bit messy, but I just thought alternating perspectives might add to the drama and emphasize the emotion.**

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 3: A Tearful Fearful Night

**Sorry for leaving you guys in suspense.**

**Just to clarify, I don't own any of these characters.**

...

They all tried to get some sleep, but it was hard.

First of all, Josie woke up crying uncontrollably, and Alan got up to comfort her.

"Alan," she sobbed, "what if (hiccup) sh-she doesn't make it? W-what if-"

"Hey don't say that, of course she'll make it Josie. Valerie is a strong woman." Alan reassured her.

"I know," Josie said, "But how can we be strong for her?"

Alan couldn't think if an answer, he just held Josie close and hoped he was doing a good enough job of hiding his own tears

...

Melody and Alexandra were having less luck. Alexandra kept trying to hide her tears, silently cursing herself for feeling so scared. It wasn't like the group meant that much to her, was it?

"Alexandra?" Came a voice, Alexandra sat up and looked at Melody, whose baby blue eyes glistened with tears.

"You can't sleep, can you?" Alexandra tried not to sound choked up. Nevertheless she scooted over and let Melody crawl under the covers with her.

"It's okay to be scared, Alexandra," Melody said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, "I know you care about Valerie as much as the rest of us do."

The dam that was holding in Alexandra's tears almost immediately broke. "D-d-dang it Melody," She exclaimed through the sob she was holding back, "you're making me c-cry you dummy!"

"It's okay to cry Alexandra!" Melodys voice cracked and she pulled Alexandra close.

Alexandra finally let her tears run loose as she leaned into Melody. They both sat for a while, just crying and hugging.

"She'll be okay though, I know she will. We've been through worse, she has to make it! She just has to!"

Alexandra looked at her, "What if she doesn't?"

Melody went quiet for a moment, then pulled Alexandra into another hug. "We still have each other."

It was silent for a moment before Melody choked out, "I miss her."

Alexandra took a shaky breath and whispered back, "Me too."

...

Alexander, having witnessed the tragedy himself, had the worst trouble. Nonstop his mind flooded with thoughts about what happened, blaming himself for it.

_I could have done something, _he thought, _I could have done more. I could have saved her. I should have waited. If I did, she might still be here, with us. It's my fault._

Tears soaked into his pillow as his mind was overcome by memories of her, of the adventures they had together.

_Why didn't I cherish those moments more? Why did they have to end? Why does it have to end like this?_

What had started out as the best night of his life turned into the worst, all because of a simple mistake.

_We're going to lose her, and it's all because of me. _

_..._

Sebastian and Bleep meanwhile, wandered through the apartment, still shocked at the news of what happened. They were still wondering why this was happening.

Sebastian thought about everything Valerie had done for all of them, especially when they got into trouble. He knew that without her, things wouldn't be the same and while they saw her as a special friend who was an important part of their lives, he saw her as an amazing, intelligent, kind, brave, brilliant person who could do almost anything, and cared very deeply about all of them including him and Bleep.

So why was it her who got hurt?

Bleep and Sebastian had heard the others explain to Alexandra what had happened. According to them it was an accident.

But to Bleep, it could have been avoided. He thought it was unfair that Val had to suffer this way, and that everyone else had to suffer too.

Bleep kept wondering if things would be okay as they kept saying it would.

They all wondered if anything would ever be okay again after this.

...

**So, what do you think? Am I telling this story well? Review if you want more!**


	5. Chapter 4: Please Wake Up

**Hi, sorry I've kept you on the edge if your seats! I'm really grateful for these really awesome reviews. Thank you so so much!**

**...**

The next six weeks were spent visiting the hospital frequently, sometimes they would all go together, other times in groups, and others individually.

Each time they would talk to Valerie, they would take turns discussing what was going on, hoping she could hear them. Hoping that maybe, just maybe, she would awaken soon.

Every time he would have to leave, Alexander would kiss her on her cheek or forehead and say to her, "Keep fighting Val, for me." Sometimes, he could sense that she was listening, and even sense some determination.

One day, something changed, the only way they could describe it was that it was a miracle.

...

It was the day the doctors had taken the casts off of her arms and legs. All of them had wanted to go in at once, but the doctors would only let two people go in at a time. Alex and Alexandra decided to go in together.

Alexander should have been used to the sight, as he had seen it everyday. But each time he went in there and saw Valerie lying motionless in bed, the back of her head bandaged, tubes in her nose and arm, a small clip on her finger connected to a machine that measured her pulse, it pained him, forming a lump in his throat. Her limbs used to he propped up, but now they were out of their casts. Her arms lay on each side of her, and her legs were covered by the teal bedcovers.

Even knowing that didn't stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. This figure he was seeing wasn't the Valerie he knew. She seemed almost lifeless at first glance. Her eyes were still closed, her mouth unable to smile, yet she still looked beautiful.

Alex sat down, gently taking her hand as he gazed at her, staring at her closed eyes. They were like pools of ink, light brown in the very middle, and almost black at the edges. It was as if there were lights shining in the middle of her eyes. He missed them, and he longed to look into them again.

"Hey Val," he whispered to her, tracing a spiral pattern in the middle of her palm with his finger, "It's me, I'm back." Alex lifted his sunglasses up to his hairline, as his tears had begun to steam up the lenses. "I miss you Val, even when I'm here it feels like you aren't here. It feels as though you're not really with us, and the thing is I don't want to feel that way anymore. I don't want any of us to feel that way. We all miss you, we all want you back." He took a breath, trying to prevent more tears from falling, "Please Val, come back. We aren't the same without you."

Suddenly, Alex felt a small, subtle movement in the hand he was holding. He looked up, his sunglasses falling back onto the bridge of his nose.

Valerie's hand began to squeeze his, and her face began to scrunch up. Alexander leapt out of his chair, "S-sis look! I think she's waking up!."

Alexandra's eyebrows shot up, "I'll go get the nurse!" She cried, rushing out of the room.

"Val," Alex said, leaning forward, "can you hear me? It's me, Alex. You're in the hospital. You got hit by a car... you saved my life." Alex took a shaky breath as he watched her eyelids twitch and her head move around, "Come on Val, please, you've just gotta wake up!"

Valerie yawned as her eyes began to flutter open, Alex smiled out of relief.

"Alex?" Valerie whispered as her vision focused.

"Hey there," He said to her, tears of joy running down his face as he reached over and touched her cheek, "welcome back to the world."

Valerie smiled, "Alex."

The doctor and nurse rushed in with Alexandra right behind them. Alex stepped away from the bed to let them examine Valerie.

Alex suddenly felt his feet move, directing him to the waiting room where his friends were.

...

"Do you think Valerie might wake up soon?" Melody asked, more to herself than anyone else.

"We don't even know if she will." Josie replied under her breath, sighing.

Suddenly they hear footsteps, and Alexander came rushing towards them.

"Alex, what's wrong?" Alan asked, now concerned."

Alex spoke as he tried to catch his breath, "Valerie (gasp) is (pant) awake! (gasp) She's awake!"

Overcome with shock and excitement the entourage rushed into the hospital room.

The nurse turned to them and tried to shoo them away, "I'm sorry, but we can't have so many people in the room at once-"

"Its okay," Valerie responded, "I'm okay, really. They can come in."

The doctor and nurse exchanged a glance, "Okay," the doctor conceded, come on in."

Josie and Melody both rushed to Valerie, hugging her form both sides.

"You had us so worried, Val!" Melody cried.

"Thank heaven you're okay!" Josie exclaimed.

Valerie returned the hug, smiling, "I'm happy to see you guys too."

"Do you remember what happened to you Val?" Alan asked.

Valerie sighed as Josie and Melody backed up a bit, then replied, "I remember... I was crossing the street with Alexander... then I turned my head, and I saw a car coming. At first I thought that it would stop but it kept coming, and it was going really fast. It's headlights weren't on, so I was worried that the driver didn't see us. I pushed Alex out of the way, and then everything went black."

"You saved my life, Valerie," Alex told her, "you've been in a coma for six weeks. I was afraid for a while that you wouldn't make it, but I'm glad you're okay now." Tears began to stream down his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around Valerie, pulling her into a long, overdue hug.

Valerie returned the embrace and whispered back, "I'm glad _you're _okay, Alex."

...

For the rest of the hour they talked about what happened that night, what the doctors said, and about how scared they all were, leading to their death-defying adventures to be brought up. They talked about all the times they found themselves in trouble, laughed about things they did, reminiscing on how their problems were fixed and reflecting on how they started.

They'd almost forgotten that they were at the hospital.

They almost forgot that at some point they would have to leave. Well, one of them would have to stay.

The conversation was disrupted when they heard the nurse say, "Excuse me."

"What's up?" Alex asked.

The nurse turned to Valerie, "Your family's here to see you, Valerie."

The group exchanged glances, "I think we should go." Alan said.

"But visiting hours aren't over yet, are they?" Melody replied.

"Alan's right, Melody. We should leave and let Valerie's family have some time alone with her." Josie responded, turning to her bedridden friend, "After all, Val, they'll be so happy that you're finally awake. We wouldn't want to cause any awkwardness when they see you."

Valerie nodded, smiling, "I know, thanks. I hope you guys come visit again."

"Of course we will," Melody replied, hugging Valerie again, "we'll come back soon, we always do."

Valerie chuckled and returned the hug, "I'll be right here waiting."

"Get well soon, Val," Josie told her, joining the embrace, Alex, Alan, and Alexandra joining in too.

"I'll see you guys soon." Valerie said to them as the group hug parted.

As the other four kids were leaving, Alex leaned in and gave Valerie a quick peck on the cheek, "Goodbye Val, I'll be back tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too." she smiled.

They passed by Valerie's parents and brother on the way out, exchanging a quick "hello" before leaving.

...

**I can practically hear all the sighs of relief you guys are breathing. The story isn't over quite yet though. Review if you want to know what happens next.**


	6. Chapter 5: Happy Birthday

**Hi! I'm back! Now, this chapter might seem a bit sappy, but after everything that happened up until now, I thought some fluff would be required.**

**...**

The next day, the day before Valerie turned 19, Alexander decided to visit her in the hospital. He wanted to see if she was okay.

He silently entered the room and saw that she was asleep, her head resting on its side. He stood by her bedside and put a gentle hand on the back of her head, feeling the bandaged bump.

After a moment of silence, Valerie slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," Alex smiled, "miss me?"

Valerie sat up, yawning and stretching, "What time is it? Where are my parents?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"It's 12:30," Alex replied, "why?"

Valerie's eyes opened even wider, "Oh no!" she cried, burying her face in her hands. Then said something muffled.

"What was that?"

"I must have fallen asleep while they were visiting!" Valerie repeated, "I didn't even get to say "goodbye" to them!"

Valerie hung her head and went silent. Alex thought he could see a single tear form in her eye before she quickly brushed it away.

"After you and the others left, my parents and my brother came in. They were so happy to see me, that I was awake. I told them what happened, and they told me that they were proud of me, and they were still crying out of shock and relief. My brother and my mom wouldn't stop hugging me.

"Then, my eyelids started feeling heavy, and I had to rest my head on the pillow, and I tried to listen to what they were saying, but it kept getting harder and harder to keep my eyes open. I thought that I'd just blink for a moment. Then, I guess they had to leave..."

Valerie sighed, laying back down, "Now I'm alone." she murmured.

Alex chuckled, "Not all alone, Val."

Valerie looked at him and grinned. Sitting back up, she scooted over a little and patted the empty spot next to her.

Alex kicked off his shoes and sat next to his companion on the bed, snaking an arm around her waist.

"Have I ever told you that you're my hero?" he asked her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Valerie chuckled, "A few times."

"Well, it's true, and I'm lucky to have you. We all are."

"I'm the one who's lucky to have you, Alex. I can always count on you to help me, even if you mess up."

Alex smiled, blushing a bit as he rested his head on hers, "I usually do."

"Still, you're a loyal friend, even if you're a big chicken!"

They both laughed.

"Another reason I'm lucky," Alex began, "I could've been mowed down by that car, but you managed to save me. I may have spent many nights wondering if I shouldn't have been hit too, but now I realize that I survived because you wanted me to, even if that meant you would've..." his voice trailed off. He didn't want to say that word.

"Well, I'm alive," she reassured him, "even though it will be a while before I can walk again, I know I'll be okay."

"We'll all be here for you, Val. You can count on it."

They sat in silence for a while before Valerie spoke, "It's funny how much we've gone through. How much we survived."

"Yeah," Alex replied, "We never really think about the danger we were really in during those times. We tended to sort of... take it for granted."

Valerie sighed, "We've nearly been drowned, done in by plants, killed by mad men, burned alive, frozen to death, killed by aliens just to name a few... and yet somehow we managed to survive. We got out completely unharmed. Then, I get hit by a car and end up fighting for my life in a hospital!"

"I know it doesn't make sense, but for what it's worth, I'm glad you're okay."

For a few hours they sat together, talking about what would happen next, about what Valerie had missed while she was in a coma, about that night.

"I wish we hadn't stepped into the street when we did."

"Now, don't start that, it's not your fault! It's the driver's fault for not using his headlights, not slowing down, and not stopping!"

"Did you get a good look at the license plate?"

Valerie paused to think, "I got a glimpse of it, but I can't remember the number."

"Well, don't strain your brain trying to figure it out. That can wait."

Valerie sighed, "I'd like to give that idiot a piece of my mind."

"Me too. Hey, don't look at me like that, I'm serious!"

They both burst into giggles. Soon they ran out of things to talk about, and it was quiet again.

"Hey Val," Alex asked after a while, "are you okay."

"I'm fine, Alex," she murmured back, "just... a bit... sleepy."

"Just a bit?"

"Please... don't let me fall asleep again."

"Why not?"

"Because I'll wake up hours later... and you'll be gone... and I'll be alone again. Please Alex... don't let me sleep. I don't want to be alone. Please... don't let me..." Valerie's voice trailed off as she drifted off to sleep.

Alex gently pulled her closer to him, "You need to rest, Val," he whispered to her, "besides, you look cute and peaceful while you're asleep."

Alex rested his head on hers, listening to her soft breathing and eventually falling asleep himself.

...

Alex woke to someone gently shaking his shoulder. He looked up at the doctor, who cleared her throat before speaking to him.

"Sir, visiting hours are ending. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

Alex nodded as he carefully slid off the bed, trying not to wake Valerie.

He heard her voice as he was putting his shoes back on.

"Alex?"

Alex turned to her, she looked exhausted and hurt. He'd never seen her look so pitiful before.

"I'm sorry Val, I've gotta go."

"Please don't leave me, Alex!" She sounded as though she was on the verge of tears.

"Hey, hey, shh shh shh shh! It's okay, I'll be back tomorrow. We all will." Alex took her hand and placed his other hand on the side of her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb, "Tomorrow's your birthday, remember?"

Valerie nodded, "I remember, I can't wait to see you and our friends and my family tomorrow."

Valerie's eyes closed again and she sank back into slumber.

"It's alright, Val," Alex whispered, "just go to sleep. You need to rest so that you can make a full recovery. I'll be back tomorrow."

He gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving.

The next day, he and the others would make sure that in spite of everything, Valerie could still have a happy birthday.

...

The following day, the whole group went in to see Valerie. They were greeted by her and her parents when they came into the room.

"We brought cupcakes," Josie said, holding up a covered plate.

Mrs. Brown smiled, "That was really nice of you. It's great that Valerie has such great friends like you."

Nobody except Alexander noticed Valerie's younger brother giving him a suspicious look and do the "I'm watching you" gesture, before smiling mischievously as if to say, "I'm just kidding".

The rest of the afternoon, they sang, they talked, they laughed, they carried on as if nothing bad ever happened.

They all knew of course, that everything was going to be okay.

It could only get better from here, right?

...

**It can, and it will. Stay tuned to find out what I mean. In the meantime, review please! No flames though. Otherwise I'll sic my cat on anyone who dares to flame!**


	7. Epilogue

**Hi! Here's the ending, sorry to keep you waiting!**

**...**

Alex woke the next morning to the sound of cheers and laughter.

He rolled out of bed and trudged down the hallway.

"What's going on?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Hi," came a familiar voice.

Alexander rushed out to see Valerie in a wheelchair with a big smile on her face, her family and friends surrounding her.

Alex speechlessly threw his arms around her in what felt like a long overdue hug.

"I missed you."

Valerie chuckled, "You saw me yesterday."

"I know, but I missed having you around."

Valerie returned the hug, "I missed being here."

No words were spoken. The two held on for a while before parting just so that they could look at each other.

He got lost in those beautiful eyes again.

They leaned in closer, and he felt her kiss again.

It had been over a month since that night, and it would take even longer for Valerie to walk again. But it was okay, because she wasn't alone.

Her family and friends knew how much they meant to her.

And she knew, how much she meant.

...

**Don't worry, everyone! I've got plenty more stories up my sleeve! And I've got plenty of cartoon headcanons, so I'm going to make stories for other cartoons, I promise! It will take time though.**


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